Ali B was born in
Zaanstad and moved to Amsterdam's
De Pijp neighbourhood when he was two, and later to
Amsterdam-Oost. When he was 14, he moved to
Almere. In his teenage years, he dealt drugs to make money, regularly smoked marijuana, and stole shoes from his local mosque. Seeking to set him straight, his mother made Ali B live with his grandparents in Morocco for ten months. He found refuge in Islam and rapping. He collaborated with
Akon on the international remix of his single "
Ghetto". In 2006, Ali B was knighted as the "Baron of Ooit" in the children's theme park Land van Ooit and given a statue in the park's Main Street. He received the honor because the park felt that "he is committed to children in a special way." After hugging
Queen Beatrix at the 2005
Queen's Day celebration, he was often called the "knuffelmarokkaan" (cuddle Moroccan), which at first he did not like because it suggested he was only cuddly because of the low standards applied to Moroccans. However, he tried to paint the phrase in a more positive light. In 2015,
The Economist noted how his "empathetic moments have probably done more to promote Dutch acceptance of Muslims than any policy could have achieved." This came amongst growing anti-Muslim tensions in the Netherlands owing to the rising popularity of far-right politician
Geert Wilders and his
Party for Freedom. It was noted that Ali B was such a cross-cultural icon that he "is the one prominent Moroccan-Dutch figure whom the PVV’s leaders never attack." He eventually apologised to the Central Jewish Organisation. In 2020, Ali B started "Ik Wil Groeien" (I Want to Grow), an online coaching and self-help platform. In 2021, he published the book
De Ali B-Methode (The Ali B Method), featuring 12 life lessons shared by him. Following accusations of sexual assault and rape in 2022, two of which became criminal convictions in 2024, companies severed ties with Ali B. Maven Publishing ceased all printing and sales of his book
The Ali B Method, and LikeMeat pulled his "Mocro Flavour" vegetarian chicken brand from shelves. Telecom magnate Jasper de Rooij scrapped his planned million-dollar investment into an Ali B-promoted invention.
RTL Nederland removed Ali B as a judge from all its programs,
NPO 1 announced it would no longer play Ali B songs on the radio, and many Dutch celebrities unfollowed him on Instagram. == Television career ==